Chipshots – 4 May 2018
Posted on: 4 May
COURSE AND NEW CLUBHOUSE NEWS
Work on the new clubhouse entry road is well underway. The first stage of this road work stretches from the entry gates to the corner near the clubhouse. After grading and excavating the road the area has been rolled and gravel road base has been spread. The gutters and kerbs will be formed up this coming week. The ongrade carpark has also been excavated and rolled. This parking area is being built as part of the first stage of road work.
Installation of the support beams for the Porte Cochere is now completed. The pedestrian walkway alongside the vehicle entry ramp has been formed up and reo is in place and will be ready to pour soon.
The soffits of the function and dining pod have now been painted their final colour. This is a much darker bronze colour as opposed to the tan colour that was used for the undercoat. The members pod will also be painted in this colour.
The underground carpark had been cleaned and buffed. It is now in the process of being line marked and sealed.
Flemmings are continuing work on the clubhouse surrounds. This week additional segments of cart path have been poured, and additional areas have been formed up.
On the eastern side of the course work on the new 17th hole is nearing completion. On Tuesday morning our course staff seeded this green, which is the last of our course greens to be constructed. Generally greens require a 10 week growing period before they are playable, so now this gives us a rough timeline on when the course will be completed and we will be playing out new 18 hole routing.
During the week mulch was spread along the left had side of the fairway, and additional Kikuyu was laid on the approach to the green. Currently fairway and bunker drainage is being dug. Over the next few days the bunkers will have the gravel layer installed and this area cleaned up. Flemmings will then focus on tidying up a number of areas on the course that are still outstanding.
COURSE CARE
The Greens Committee is becoming increasingly concerned by the apparent lack of care for the course being exhibited by players, including members.
It is almost a daily occurrence that members complain about pitch marks and divots not being repaired, bunkers not being raked, or rakes being left in the incorrect position. A lot of time, money and effort goes into manicuring Strathfield to meet our members high expectations and this can be all for nothing if golfers aren’t doing their part to ensure others experience these conditions once they are out playing the course.
Each and every golfer who steps onto the first tee at any golf course should have an understanding of golf course etiquette through proper care and maintenance. This includes things such as; fixing ball marks, filling divots, raking bunkers, adhering to traffic stakes, etc. How would you feel if you lipped out on the 18th hole for a birdie because the ball took a skip over a ball mark that was not repaired or if your ball landed in a footprint inside a bunker? These are all a part of your job as a golfer on the golf course, as much as it our greens staff on a daily basis. Our staff strive to give our members the best possible playing conditions each and every day, but you can always help as well.
Ball marks are the number one nemesis of all golfers putting on a smooth green. Some ball marks are worse than others depending on the shot type and trajectory, however, no ball mark should ever be disregarded. If your ball landed on a green, there’s a very good chance that it left a ball mark for you to repair. Each golfer should be responsible to fix their ball mark plus two others before they leave a green. As a general rule, a ball mark repaired within 10 minutes will heal with a smooth surface within two to three days. An unrepaired ball mark may take as long as three weeks to heal, but the result will be an uneven surface.
The basis for ball mark repair and divot replacement is for both competitive and agronomic reasons. Balls that land in unrepaired divots place a golfer at a disadvantage, just as having to putt over a ball mark. By leaving turf damaged (unrepaired), it becomes susceptible to disease and/or infestation of weeds, resulting in a lower quality of playing surface. This necessitates the need for increased attention by greens staff, thereby taking them away from more pressing duties. Much like repairing your ball mark on the green, repairing your divot is vital to golf course beauty and health.
Believe it or not, sand bunkers are the single most looked after aspect of golf course maintenance. Even though they are considered hazards, a clean and fluffy lie is what every golfer hopes to encounter when they hit a shot into one. Our bunkers are regularly checked for depth of sand and are hand raked up to three times per week so they can have that “perfect” lie. However, the focus of our greens staff can’t always be towards bunkers as there are many other tasks on the golf course that need to be completed throughout each day. This is where you, as a golfer, can do your part. Whenever entering and exiting a bunker, always do so at the “low point”. In other words, don’t attempt to climb down or up a steep face of a bunker as you can easily damage the edge and/or disrupt the subsurface of the bunker in your attempt to do so. Please make sure that if you hit a shot out of a bunker, whether it be fairway or greenside, grab the closest rake to you before you enter, hit your shot and then smoothly rake all footprints and depressions as you exit for the next golfer that was just as unlucky to land there. Please leave rakes in the center of the bunker in the direction of play, not against the edge.
Masters Pennant
Our team played our first game against Cromer at Cromer last Sunday.
Their 18th hole played prominently with both Peter Berg and Keith Brough winning for a win and a squared match respectively, whilst Steve Ring lost the hole and his match.
A tough day for our team against a strong Cromer team who had a convincing win 6.5 to 1.5.
This Sunday we play the division gun side from Long Reef at home at 11:00am.
If you wish to see some good golf or even caddy for our players you are more than welcome.
Brian Dunbar
Manager
CONQUEST UPDATE
Conquest are scheduled to commence excavation as of this Monday. Members will notice the safety barriers that have been erected across our old carpark. We will not have access to this area from Monday, but additional parking is available in the temporary car park next to the Conquest sales office as this is no longer being used by Metro. In the event that additional parking is needed, there will be access for members to park on the course towards where the old 18th green was located. This area is well out of the way of play.
STRATHFIELD EVENT CENTRE & FORTE CATERING
Awaiting the opening of the doors to Strathfield Event Centre, we would love to share with you some details to what’s in store for our loyal members and guests.
Along with three stunning functions rooms, there will be a private dining room perfect for intimate dinners or cocktail celebrations. If you’re looking for an exquisite setting for a smaller sized event, this private room will be the ideal of luxury experience. Paired with its very own private balcony, adding a lavish alfresco area for you and your guests to be enthralled by the picturesque scenery of the fairways
While there’s still work to go until completion, we are thrilled to share some more details about the exciting new event centre as the weeks ahead progress.
Find us on Instagram and Facebook and be sure to start following for all the exciting and upcoming updates.
Click here to visit the Strathfield Event Centre Website
Click here to visit the Forte Website
SINGLES KNOCKOUT
The quarter final stage of the Singles KO matchplay will be played on Saturday, 11 May 2018. Tee times run from 11:04am to 11:28am.
Click Here for the Match Play Draw
NO DRINKS CART ON THE COURSE
A reminder for members that due to Peter, our caterer, no longer being with the club there will not be a drinks cart on the course during the interim period until we move across to the new clubhouse.
We have organised to have a variety of sandwiches and wraps delivered daily which can be purchased before the round from either the bar or the pro-shop. We apologise for the inconvenience due to the timing of these events. The halfway house at the new clubhouse will be up and running as soon as we are operational from the new site.
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